


In Another Life

by Aeradae



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Blood, Blood Magic, Cullrian Soulmates AU, Demonic Possession, Demons, Dubious Consent, Eventual Cullrian, F/M, M/M, Non-Consensual, dark rituals
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-01
Updated: 2015-11-25
Packaged: 2018-04-29 07:24:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5119982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aeradae/pseuds/Aeradae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What would have happened if Dorian had failed to escape his parents, if blood magic had been used to alter his mind, to change him into the perfect son? This is one story of what could have been.</p><p>This is an eventual Cullrian soulmates fic. Before you read on, know that Cullen will not make an appearance for several chapters. If this bothers you, please stop here.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I would just like to reassure everyone that there will be ZERO sex scenes with Dorian and Saeda written at ANY point in this fic. Their relationship is not my main focus, only a means to later bring Cullen and Dorian together. 
> 
> I would also really appreciate if everyone could keep an open mind as they read this fic. It's not meant to be a fluffy, feel-good piece of writing. If you are searching for that, I'm afraid that you won't find it here.

He awoke in complete darkness. The initial absence of light was so overwhelming that for a horrifying moment he thought he had been made blind. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as his eyes slowly began to adjust, allowing him to make out a few very faint details about the room he was in. It appeared to be some sort of windowless holding cell. A very small one, he noted, probably not more than four paces across. The sparse furniture consisted of only the small, hard bed he was lying on and a dented bucket in the corner not far away.

His hands were tightly shackled together behind his back, his shoulders already starting to ache from the strain of the awkward position. A grunt escaped his lips as he struggled to sit up, the side of his head throbbing. His shoulders protested the attempt and he tried to roll them in slow circles to ease some of the cramping. He realized that his ankles were also shackled, a small length of chain linking the cuffs together. The chain appeared to be just long enough to allow him to shuffle his feet and walk, but not long enough to allow him to reach any significant speed. Wonderful.

A coughing fit overtook him as his feet kicked up a thick layer of dust that settled into his lungs. White stars exploded across his vision as his head objected to the movement. Jaw clenched in pain, chin resting against his chest, he tried to distract himself from the pain. It didn’t appear that this place had been used for quite some time. _I can’t help but feel that taking the time and effort to drag me to an abandoned building such as this does not bode well for me at all. How long was I out? Where is this place? What do they want with me?_

The sound of heavy footsteps echoing off the walls suddenly reached his ears. He forced his aching body into a standing position. From the small space underneath the cell door he could make out flickering blue light (a mage light?) that steadily drew brighter, and suddenly he was afraid of what might happen when whoever was coming reached the door. He backed up until he was leaning his arms against the wall as he waited for the door to open. Attempting to summon his magic proved to be a fruitless effort; the blow to the head had done more damage than he thought, he realized with growing apprehension.

“Ah, you’re finally awake! Excellent,” an exquisitely dressed mage commented with a satisfied smile as he opened the door and took in his battered and disheveled appearance.

“What is the meaning of this?? I demand that you release me! Do you have any idea who I am??”

“Your identity is the only reason that you yet live, Dorian, especially after the struggle we faced to get you here,” the man replied, his smile faltering slightly. “I was not warned that you would put up such a fight.”

“You’ve made a grave mistake! My father will be most displeased to know that his precious heir has been treated in such a manner!” Dorian growled, testing the shackles once more. They didn’t give any more than they had during his earlier attempt. Whoever had put them on his wrists had fitted them well.

The mage laughed. “My dear boy, your father is the reason that you are here!”

Dorian’s confidence faltered for a moment. “Y-you’re lying!” He huffed a harsh laugh. Of course he was lying. He had to be. They were trying to shake his courage so that he would be more compliant. That had to be it.

“I’m afraid not. I’ve been told that you refuse to be the obedient son that your parents desire. They are tired of waiting for you to come to your senses. Fortunately for us, I know of a way to help their dreams become a reality and they have the wealth to ensure it is done by the best there is. Unfortunately for you, the process is most unpleasant and extremely painful. You won’t remember that part later on, at least.”

Dorian gaped at the mage for a moment, his heart pounding in his chest. _No, it can’t be… father wouldn’t actually go through with his insane threats. Mother would never allow such a thing! They wouldn’t… they couldn’t! They know the dangers, know what could happen to me if something goes even a little bit wrong… are they that eager for a dutiful, obedient son that they would risk turning me into a drooling husk of a man?_

The mage snapped his fingers. Two large, armored men stepped forward to take Dorian by the arms. Dorian struggled, but the man on his left cuffed him so hard on the side of the head that he saw stars for a second time. He staggered a bit as he fought to remain upright.

The group made their slow way through the twists and turns of the empty halls, encountering no one else on their journey. Finally they found themselves in front of a large closed door. Orange light could be seen flickering softly through the cracks in the worn surface.

The room they passed into was unlike any Dorian had ever seen. Candles covered nearly every available flat surface. Most of the furniture was pushed back against the outer walls of the room, leaving only a single large table in the very center. Dorian noted in morbid fascination that the table had chains bolted into each corner. Fascination faded to horror as he looked down to see runes carefully drawn into the floor around the table. They appeared to have been drawn in blood.  

The guards brought him over to the table and hauled him into a sitting position in the center. The shackles on his legs were removed only to be replaced with the ones from the table edge. He was then guided to lay flat on his back. Before his hands were freed, a blade was pressed against his throat. “No funny business,” one of the guards warned. Dorian managed a slight nod, hardly daring to breathe as they transferred his wrists to the other chains.

Once he was secured the mage inspected him for a moment, stroking his chin in contemplation. He pulled a small knife from the sleeve of his robe and began cutting away the many layers of Dorian’s clothing until he was clad in nothing but his undergarments. He shivered in dread, goosebumps breaking out across his bronze skin.

The mage neared the table with a large stone bowl in his hands. Dorian realized the bowl was steaming slightly. _Blood, freshly drained from some unfortunate creature, I presume_. He squeezed his eyes shut, fighting the urge to be violently ill. He shuddered suddenly, biting his lip as he felt fingers brushing against his skin, leaving warm, sticky trails in their wake. His revulsion only grew as he dimly recognized some of the swirling patterns being drawn onto his body. Dark runes, painted in fresh blood. _Sweet maker, what am I about to unwillingly be a part of…_

The fingers blessedly withdrew after several minutes. As Dorian continued to struggle with the nausea two hooded figures silently entered the room. One pressed forward to quietly confer with the mage, while the other came to stand beside the table. The figure reached up to pull back their hood and smooth back their long raven hair. Aquinea Thalrassian looked down upon her son with an unreadable expression on her perfect features.

“Dorian.” At the unspoken command Dorian opened his eyes to stare up into a pair of equally silver ones.

“Mother? What is this? What is going on here?”

“Do you still dream of him?”

“W-what? Dream of who?”

Aquinea gripped Dorian’s chin tightly between her long fingers, the pointed tips of her nails sharp against his skin. “Don’t play dumb with me, my handsome child. It doesn’t suit you. Do you still dream of that man you used to tell me about?”

Dorian swallowed thickly. _I never should have told her about my dreams… what could have possessed me to tell her such things? I should have known better._ “I have on occasion.”

“Dorian.” She squeezed his chin harder and Dorian could feel the sharp pinch of her nails breaking the skin.

“Yes,” he whispered, looking away from her. Him. The mysterious man who had haunted his dreams for years now. The man that, to his knowledge, only existed in his own mind. No, he had to exist _somewhere_ , he was sure of it, he just didn’t know where. The man he knew his heart beat in his chest for, his lungs breathed in air for, his mind cried out for every single day of his life. The man, even though he had never met and would probably never meet, he had completely fallen in love with. His other half. His soul mate.

“I told you this foolish fantasizing would bring you nothing but trouble. Now look where we are. All I asked was for you to behave like a good boy and do as you were told. We even had a lovely girl picked out for you, but you had to go out and ruin it with your… lewd antics. Her parents will never speak to us again. Do you know how embarrassing that is going to be for us?”

“Mother, please,” Dorian begged. “Don’t let him do this to me. How could you possibly allow this? This could turn me into a drooling vegetable or even kill me! I’m your _son_!”

“You have only yourself to blame, dear.”

“Mother! Stop this! Surely my ‘lewd antics’ aren’t worth this!”

“Dorian, that’s enough!” Halward Pavus stalked over to stand opposite his wife. “I warned you what would happen if you continued with your drunken, lecherous ways. I will not have you drag the Pavus name through the mud any longer! You will behave, and you _will_ settle down with the other young lady we picked out to be your wife and you will eventually continue the Pavus line.”

“But father, this is not the life I wish to live! Why can’t you understand that? _I don’t want to live this false, pathetic life you’ve chosen for me_.”

“You will do as you are told, Dorian!” Halward’s face darkened with rage, his eyes glittering dangerously. He snapped his fingers at the mage and guards standing at attention several feet away, pointing at something Dorian couldn’t see in the far right corner. Dorian could hear the sounds of a struggle and tried to twist his head in order to catch a glimpse, but to no avail.

Dorian gaped as the guards finally came back into view, dragging with them a young female elf. She looked to be a slave, judging from her worn appearance and tattered outfit. Her green eyes were large and wild, darting around the room searching for a way to escape. She was panting heavily as she flailed her body and kicked at the guards with every ounce of her strength.

The mage hurried forward to cast a spell of immobility to keep her still. She bared her teeth angrily, her muscles twitching as she fought to make them to obey her. The guards snickered at her obvious distress, poking at her with the hilts of their swords.

The mage gestured for the guards to bring him the bowl he had been using earlier and instructed them to hold it in front of him. He stood before the elf with a large, heavily jeweled dagger clutched in his fist. A slow melodic chant began falling from his lips as he dragged the blade across the inside of his forearm. A thick line of blood welled up and began pouring from the wound. He tilted his arm so that his blood pooled in the bowl to mix with that left over from his earlier work on Dorian. He raised the knife above his head with the other hand. A red glow surrounded the mage as he threw his head back, eyes closing momentarily as the chant picked up volume and speed.

He set the knife down next to Dorian’s feet before dipping a finger into the bowl and carefully tracing intricate symbols across the elf’s face and neck. Her mouth opened in a silent scream as she renewed her futile efforts to escape. A few more swirling strokes and then the mage’s thumb pressed into the center of her forehead, completing the last rune. Magic flowed from the contact and travelled throughout her body, causing tremors to set her muscles aquiver as it passed through. Her eyelids fluttered closed as she lost consciousness.

 _What… what just happened? What are they trying to summon, exactly?_ Dorian looked around apprehensively as the room fell eerily silent, every eye intent on the motionless elf girl in the center of the room.

A heaviness settled over the room, the air so thick with electricity and pent up magic that it caused the hairs on Dorian’s body to stand up on end. Something was definitely happening. _This is bad… very, very bad._

Dorian started as the elf suddenly took in a sharp breath. He heard soft sounds coming from her but couldn’t quite place them. He strained his ears as he continued to listen. Was she… giggling?  

“Reveal yourself,” the mage hissed.

The elf’s eyes slowly opened. They flashed a deep purple as she looked around before fading back to their previous green. The mage removed the immobility spell with a flick of his wrist before turning his attention to healing the cut on his arm.

The elf looked down at her body curiously, turning her head and limbs to get a better view, as if seeing all of it for the first time. _Uh oh…_ Dorian’s heart clenched slightly as he watched her. Finally she looked up at the mage, who was waiting expectantly.

“I have most graciously answered your summons, mage. What do you wish of me?” she asked with a sultry smile.

“I require your help, demon. A deal, if you will.”

“Is that so?” the demon purred. “I find myself intrigued. If I happened to be in the mood to make a deal with you if the offer pleases me, but what would I get in return, hmm?”

“A feast only one such as yourself could truly appreciate. It appears that this young man harbors some sort of… endless fascination, shall we say, with an unknown man he has only seen in his dreams. I propose that you take away that fascination, feed off of it, destroy it, or whatever it takes, and replace it with a fascination that is more… fitting, shall we say.”

The demon sauntered forward, hips swaying, running a finger up Dorian’s side. He shuddered and tried to pull away from her touch. Her fingertips rested on either side of his head as she bent down over him and closed her eyes to concentrate. She hissed appreciatively as she felt the heady current of pent up desire coursing deep within him. “Such depth,” she murmured, stroking his cheek. “A truly powerful want, need, desire resides in this one, mostly hidden away. Even he does not seem to know the full extent of it. It’s almost a shame that you want to remove it. Oh, but it would be such a glorious feast for they who would attempt it.”

“Can you remove this desire and replace it with another?”

“It will not be easy, but I believe that I can. If this is the deal you wish to strike, then I am more than willing, my darling. What desire would you like to replace this one with?”

“This… lust for both this mystery man and those of his own sex has caused much trouble already and is not ideal for the role he is meant to play. If he is to become head of his house someday and continue the family line, he must learn to appreciate the female form and all its wonders. A touch of desire to please his parents wouldn’t hurt, either.”

The demon tilted her head as she looked over at Halward and Aquinea, considering for a moment. “Many would say that is quite a harsh fate for one of your own blood. But… ah, yes, your ambitions for him are quite strong. You do know that this may alter him, yes? His personality may completely change, as well as his interests. There is also a small chance that he may lose his mind in the process. His body would still function, but his mind would be totally erased.”

Halward waved a hand, dismissing her warning. “I’m willing to risk it. Do what you must.”

“As you wish.” She crawled up onto the table, moving to straddle Dorian’s hips, purposely sliding her body along his to gauge his reaction. She pouted slightly as his body failed to react at all to her feminine form. “You really are set on the company of men, hmm? Well, I’m sure we can fix that quickly enough.”

“Please, don’t do this,” Dorian begged, sweat forming on his brow. “Mother, father, you cannot let them do this. Please! I’m your _son_!”

“We gave you more chances than we should have, Dorian. I’m sorry that it had to come to this.” Maker, his father almost sounded apologetic. Almost.

He turned his pleading gaze to the demon. “Please, surely there must be something I can offer you instead!”

“I’m sorry, handsome, but I’m afraid this deal is much too good to pass up. Don’t worry, you won’t even remember how different your life was before this.” She rubbed her borrowed body against his once more with a soft growl. Soft but strong hands holding his head in place forced Dorian to look up at her. He saw a flicker of violet in her eyes as she leaned down over him, their faces mere inches apart. The violet deepened as she closed the distance between them and pressed their lips together.

The contact caused sparks to shoot through Dorian’s body. He cried out as a sharp pain shot through all of the nerve endings in his body, writhing and trying to escape her touch. Her body began to glow with violet light as she began to pour magic into him.

A ragged scream burst past his lips, muffled by her mouth against his, as the magic sparked into his brain. It felt like someone was hacking away at the delicate lobes with an old, rusty sword. His thoughts scattered to the wind as he struggled to force air into his lungs, his body trembling in agony.

The last thing he remembered before he lost consciousness were those warm, amber eyes that had endlessly haunted his dreams fading away until they completely winked out of memory, out of existence.

\---

Dorian found himself sitting straight up in bed, a gasp bursting from his lips as his heart pounded loudly in his ears. He ran a hand over his face and through his heavily mussed hair, noting the beads of sweat that had formed on his forehead. His body was still recovering from the memory of the nightmare, but already the details had faded from his mind, leaving behind only faint impressions of dark places and blood-chilling events. And amber coloured eyes. Strange. They were familiar, but at the same time they were completely foreign. They belonged to no one he ever remembered seeing or meeting. Surely he would be able to recall seeing someone with such a unique eye colour. He absently tugged at the diamond stud in his left ear as he let his thoughts drift.

“Dorian?” a sleepy voice murmured next to him in concern. “Are you alright? Is something wrong?”

“Yes I’m fine, my love. I just had a nightmare, that’s all.” He took several deep breaths to try and calm his rapid heartbeat before easing himself back down against the pillows. He rolled over to curl himself around the bed’s other occupant. He hugged her tightly against his body, his chest pressed against her back, his face buried in her neck, filling his nose with the sweet scent of her hair and skin.

Saeda twisted her head to press a kiss to his forehead as she lifted a hand to lightly run her nails along the shaved section of hair above his right ear. “You want to tell me about it?”

He sighed as his body began to completely relax in her calming presence. “I can’t even really remember it, honestly. The memory of it faded away almost as soon as I woke up.”

“That’s probably for the best. It’s the mind’s way of helping you cope with unsettling thoughts.” She wriggled out of his embrace to roll onto her back, stroking his smooth cheek fondly.

“You help me cope. What would I ever do without you?” Dorian murmured, lifting himself on an elbow so he could lean over her and press a tender kiss against her lips.

“You have a point; I’m quite certain you would pine away to nothing,” Saeda agreed. “Good thing you’ll never have to suffer that horrible fate.” He smirked and shook his head. Her free hand slid around his neck as she pulled him on top of her for a proper kiss. Dorian was more than happy to comply.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dorian is still haunted by his nightmare. Dorian and Saeda receive a letter from an old friend.

Despite not remembering the majority of the nightmare, Dorian couldn't stop thinking about it, worrying at it endlessly in one corner of his mind for the next several days. He also couldn't stop thinking of the amber eyes. He felt as if he had seen them somewhere before, but where? Surely he would remember someone with such distinctively coloured eyes? He was captivated by them, haunted by them. Never had the feeling been so strong, so persistent, that the man who owned them was real, was out there somewhere, looking for him, waiting for him. Why would he be looking for Dorian in the first place, though? Why would he be waiting for him in particular? He didn’t understand any of this. He wasn’t even sure if he wanted to understand.

Saeda had noticed his distraction, but for the most part she had left him alone to try and sort it out himself first, as was his usual way. They were supposed to be researching together today, but his mind had wandered far away from the task at hand. She shifted closer, cupping a hand gently under his chin and turning his face so he was looking at her. "You've got something weighing heavily onyour mind again."

Dorian laughed softly. "You always figure me out, Saeda. My thoughts have been gravitating toward that nightmare I had a few days ago. Something about it pulls at me, calls to me, but for the life of me I cannot remember it enough to understand why. All I can remember are those strange eyes I told you about. The rest is a complete blur."

Saeda stroked his cheek with her thumb. "Don’t push yourself too hard. I think it will come to you eventually in its own time. Would you like to take a break from our research? We have been working at this for quite a while. My stomach tells me it's almost time for dinner anyway."

"You sure you're not secretly eating for two?" Dorian teased, ducking away as Saeda growled obscenities at him and smacked his shoulder lightly.

"Wouldn't that news absolutely make your mother's day. Perhaps even her week." She rolled her eyes.

Dorian reached over to pat her knee sympathetically. “It might even make her month, honestly. You know how badly her and father want to continue the family line. We’re “overdue” to be expecting a child in their eyes. Speaking of which, she will probably ask you about it again tonight. I’ve heard she has been doing some shopping for potential baby outfits.”

Saeda groaned and covered her face with her hands. “Can I beg off dinner tonight with a headache? I’m definitely on the verge of getting a migraine just thinking about interacting with her right now.”

“Oh no, you are not leaving me alone with her!”

“She’s your mother, though!”

“When you decided to accept my proposal, you bound yourself to each and every part of me and my life, the good and the bad. My mother is part of that bad stuff you must get used to, I’m afraid. Don’t forget that I have to deal with your parents as well, and that’s not usually delightful either.”

“Fine, fine. I will attend this dinner with you and your parents, but only because I will never hear the end of it from you if I don’t.”

Dorian grinned triumphantly and kissed her temple before pulling her to her feet. “Come, let us get cleaned up for dinner. You know how mother likes us to look our absolute best when we dine with her and father.”

\---

When Saeda emerged from her bath a while later, the light mood of earlier had disappeared. She found Dorian sitting at their large wooden desk, completely lost in thought, grey eyes staring out the window without seeing, a letter clenched between his fingers.

“Dorian?” Saeda rounded the desk to stand beside him and lightly ran her hand through his hair, nails lightly scraping along his scalp. He started slightly before coming back to himself and leaning into the touch. “Are you alright?”

“I’m not sure, exactly. I just received this letter from Felix.” He wordlessly passed it over to her.

Saeda frowned slightly, carefully smoothing out the creases before holding it up to read it. Her frown changed to a look of surprise as she made sense of the words on the page:

 

_My finely-feathered friends,_

_I fear he has lost what was left of his brilliant mind. His sense of good judgment flees quicker than we did from our beloved homeland not so long ago. I never wanted to go in the first place. I would rather have stayed to live my days out in a semblance of peace with my pair of dearest and only friends. Would that I had a choice. My body and heart are too weak to resist, especially when my tainted blood is involved._

_I don’t like this place, these people. Filthy dog lords, all of them. A second uprising against their magical brethren is in the making, if he has his way. And he most likely will, at that. There is no one to stop his plans. This place can’t afford to take a repeat of history. Too many demons in its dark past, to be certain._

_This evil doing, this wrongness, must be known, and hang the consequences I might suffer. I’m already doomed as it is, so I might as well go with a clear conscience. He’s joined our brethren that we have shunned, dear friends. He still searches for that which he will never find. He never gave up hope. I don’t think he can anymore, lest he give in to sadness and despair._

_Even worse, another has now renewed that hope deep within his chest. For a price. A heavy, unimaginable price. Surely his years of research have led up to more than this? Warping its original intent, for dark, evil purposes was not what he imagined it would lead to. I never thought I would see this day, but this day has indeed come._

_As heavy as it makes my heart, I must beg for your aid. I cannot do this alone. This must be stopped, no matter the cost. We are all in danger. All I ask is that you do what you can, nothing more._

_Your once sneaky treat-bringer._

 

“I didn’t expect him to still live, honestly. His live has already been extended far longer than was expected. I don’t understand though, where exactly is he? Fereldan obviously, I gathered that much from the ‘filthy dog lords’ bit. ‘A second uprising against their magical brethren’ and ‘too many demons in its dark past’, though? I’m afraid that these hints mean nothing to me.”

“He’s talking about Redcliffe Castle, my dear. During the last Blight and under the threat of civil war, the Arl of Redcliffe was poisoned by a traitorous mage. The arl’s son, a young boy that had just come into his magic, tried to help him and accidentally summoned a demon that took over the castle and unleashed chaos on the village. Many people lost their lives. They thought they were all doomed until the Hero of Ferelden and her faithful companions showed up with circle mages in tow, banishing the demon and saving the boy’s life. That’s what the ‘demons in its dark past’ means. I would think that many people there are still afraid of magic because of that event. If Alexius is stirring up the mages, it cannot be a good thing.”

Dorian tilted his head. “Well, well. I wasn’t aware that you knew so much about Ferelden history. You continue to surprise me, my dear.”

Saeda winked. “I occasionally have my uses.”

Dorian paused to reread the letter. “I think Alexius has gotten himself into some serious trouble,” he said finally. “I think Felix is talking about Alexius joining the Venatori, or at least aiding them in some way. He has joined with them… how could he do such a thing?”

“I think he may have become so desperate to save Felix’s life that he will resort to anything that has even the slightest possibility of working. It also sounds like he is being used as sort of means to an end. ‘His years of research’ must be referring to his work on time magic. So someone is trying to get it to work properly. But to what end? What ‘dark, evil purposes’ could they be referring to? This is not good, Dorian.”

Dorian sighed. “Not at all,” he agreed. Saeda moved between him and the desk and perched atop it, leaving room for Dorian to rest his head in her lap. He wrapped his arms around her knees and readily accepted the comfort she offered.

“We have to help him, Dorian. I could never live with myself if we left him to deal with this on his own. He needs us. Besides, you were Alexius’s apprentice, his friend, his near-constant companion for years. If anyone could get through to him, it would be you.”

“I agree, but this will be no easy task, you know that, yes? Not to mention it will be incredibly dangerous. I couldn’t ask you to come with me. I couldn’t risk putting you in harm’s way like that.”

“You’re not asking me, I’m offering. Besides, there is no way that I would let you do this alone. Despite not knowing him as long or as well as you, I care about Felix too. I want to make sure that he is alright. And that whatever dark things Alexius has been getting himself into are not spreading any further than they already have. If the Venatori are at all involved in this, you are going to need all the help you can get. I am most definitely not going to stay and home and idly wait for you to return. You know me better than that.”

Dorian chuckled. “I suppose I do, at that. Alright, how do we do this? I don’t even know where to begin.”

“It might be good to start with securing passage over to Ferelden. After that, supplies will have to gathered, a mode of transportation found once we get over there. Those types of things.”

“My parents are going to be livid, you know.”

“Mine too. And they will not sit back quietly and complacently while we try to do this.”

“I suppose it’s a good thing that we are nearly, if not more, stubborn than they are.”

\---

“Ah, there are my precious angels,” Aquinea crooned as they entered the main part of the house. She came forward to kiss both of them, a quick peck on each cheek. “I feel as if I haven’t see the two of you all week. Tell me, has there been any good news?” She looked at each of them expectantly.

Saeda fought the urge to roll her eyes. “No, Aquinea, there is no news yet. You should know that you and my mother would be the first to know if there was any pregnancy news.”

Aquinea sighed dramatically, taking Saeda’s hand as she walked with them down the hall. “It has been almost two years now since you and Dorian took your vows. I should love to hear the pitter-patter of little feet before I grow too old to appreciate the sound.”

“You have many, many years to go before you will even begin to approach getting old, Aquinea. Besides, sometimes these things just take time. We have been rather engrossed with our research and other things this year, as it so happens.”

“Nonsense, my dear. You must make more time for that. Set aside entire days, if you must. Tell me, are you using the proper positions? I have some books, if you would like to borrow them. They have some very good descriptions. Pictures, even! I also could tell you about of some positions that seemed to work best for us when conceiving Dorian—”

Saeda shot a horrified glance at Dorian as Aquinea looked away for a moment to fuss with the delicate tassels of her shawl. “Mother, I’m fairly certain we know how to do… the deed, without having you explain it to us,” he interjected before Aquinea could launch into a detailed description of the positions she and Halward had used.

One of the elven servants quietly entered room to announce dinner was ready, and both Saeda and Dorian breathed a small sigh of relief at that most welcoming distraction. They quickly followed behind the elf into the dining room. The servant made to pull Saeda’s chair out for her, but Dorian waved him away and performed the task himself.

“Really, Dorian, you should let them do their job,” Halward commented as he entered the room.

“They shouldn’t have to cater to us as if we were small children. I am more than capable of completing this simple task for my wife on my own,” Dorian countered as he took his own seat.

“Please Dorian, not this again. You don’t even give that pretty little thing we gave you enough to do. She is well trained, we paid very well to ensure that, and you’re wasting all that potential.”

“Rest assured, Halward, she is quite helpful, especially to me,” Saeda chimed in.

Aquinea shook her head. “I wish you would consider the male servant we got you as well, Saeda. How are you going to shop properly without someone to carry all of your bags?”

“Izrah serves me just fine. She’s quiet, perfectly behaved, and a lot stronger than she looks.”

“Saeda darling, we paid so much money to find the perfect servant that would work best for you and work well with your precious Izrah. Won’t you at least give him a look over before you give us a definitive answer?”

Saeda forced a small smile. “Having a look certainly would not hurt,” she offered with a small bow of her head. Dorian winced slightly as he sensed the anger building in her.

Aquinea clapped her hands together twice in quick succession. Another elven servant entered the room, standing next to Aquinea’s chair with his hands clasped loosely behind his back. Dorian’s eyes wandered to his blonde curls, almost long enough to be unruly but not quite, falling to just above his collarbone.

_That hair, why do I find it so interesting?_ Dorian’s body froze for a brief moment as he tried hard not to openly stare at the elf. Saeda noticed his sudden discomfort, but thankfully said nothing. It seemed to make her inner anger flare even brighter.

“As I already said, while it was incredibly kind for you to have gone through the trouble, we have no need for any other servants. Since you did go through all that trouble, though, I suppose we could find a use for him somewhere.” Dorian discreetly reached for Saeda’s hand under the table and gave it a squeeze, sensing her patience was running dangerously thin.

Dorian cleared his throat softly. “Mother, father, I do have some news for you, although it is not of the future grandchild variety. It has come to my attention that my aid is needed elsewhere, so Saeda and I are planning to take off on a little trip, as it were.”

“A trip? What sort of trip? And to where?”

“Ferelden. As a bonus we thought we would take in some of the sights after our business is taken care of. I suppose you could consider it an anniversary present to each other. I’ve heard it is an interesting place.”

Aquinea clapped gleefully, but Halward wasn’t so easily distracted by the end of the conversation. He frowned. “You’re not planning to chase down your old mentor, who from reliable reports is also in Ferelden at this very moment, are you now?”

Dorian inwardly cursed. _I suppose that is where I get my shrewdness from_. “As a matter of fact, I was planning on doing just that. Someone needs to talk him out of this ridiculous and dangerous behaviour.”

“Dorian, you don’t need to worry about that old fool. He can deal with his own problems. He has made his own bed and now he must suffer the consequences.”

“It’s more complicated than that, father. It’s rumoured that he’s working with the Venatori. That is very serious business. Even if I cannot help him see reason, he cannot be allowed to roam free and do whatever he pleases, especially in a country not his own where he could bring even more disgrace to Tevinter. You know this to be true.”

“Ventatori, that is nasty business indeed,” Halward spat. “This a dangerous and foolish mission you wish to partake in. He or those he is working with could kidnap you, hurt you, or even kill you.”

“Father, he was my mentor. I worked closely with him for many years. Despite our falling out, if I could just go and talk to him, maybe I can get him to see reason. I’m probably the only one who can at this point.”

Halward was silent for a moment. “I suppose you are right. Do what you can to fix this mess before it gets any worse.”

“I shall begin preparations immediately and leave as soon as possible.”

“If you work on the travel arrangements I can concentrate on the packing, my love,” Saeda suggested.

Halward turned to her with a raised eyebrow. “Saeda, my darling, this is going to be a very dangerous mission. Are you sure you want to with Dorian? Perhaps you should stay here with us and let Dorian handle this.”

“While I have complete faith in Dorian’s ability to handle this all by himself, I think it would better if I came along. Besides, what would the poor man do without me?” She teased with a small wink.

“I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt to have another mage travelling with you,” Aquinea added. “She is just as powerful as you; one of the reasons why wished the two of you to marry. Besides, if you go you can work on the other project in the meantime.”

Dorian sighed heavily. “Mother, please! We get it, you want us to have a child. It will happen whenever it happens, alright? It definitely won’t happen if you keep bothering us about it.”

“Fine, fine, my child. I’ll drop the subject, for now. When you come back from this trip, though, I expect to be given every right to bring it up again.”

\---

Dorian and Saeda were silent for a while as they prepared for bed, heavily exhausted. Dorian’s parents had insisted upon helping with the trip planning, much to their dismay. Several hours had been spent drawing up endless lists of things they would need, places they needed to visit, and people that could help them along the way.

Saeda sat cross-legged on the bed, her back to Dorian while he stood behind her and helped her brush out her long dark hair. “That servant your mother brought out during dinner. He affected you somehow.”

Dorian nodded, forgetting for a moment that she couldn’t see him. “Yes. He… I’m not even sure how it is possible. The strangest thing is that it wasn’t the elf himself, it was his hair. Something about his curly blonde hair spoke to me, like I’d seen it before. Like the amber eyes. I feel like I’m slowly starting to lose my mind.”

Saeda reached back to take one of his hands and kiss the back of it. “I think this trip will be a good thing, in a way. You’ve been pushing yourself so hard. I think it will be good to have a break, away from this, and especially away from your parents. Maker knows I could use a break from my own parents as well.”

Dorian sat beside her and took her face in his hands. “Speaking of the trip, are you absolutely sure you want to do this? That you want to come with me? It’s not going to be an easy journey, nor a short one. I’m willing to bet that it will be extremely dangerous as well. I don’t want any harm to come to you, Saeda.”

Saeda silenced him with a gentle finger against his lips. “You’re not going anywhere without me. We’re in this together, for better or for worse,” she murmured.

Dorian kissed her finger, then nudged it aside so that he could kiss the tip of her nose. “As for the actual trip itself, my parents want us to take a whole month to carefully plan this out, but I don’t think we should wait that long. How much time do you think you need to prepare?”

“Give me a few weeks, and everything will be arranged.” Saeda stretched leisurely before crawling underneath the covers, nuzzling her face deeply into the pillow.

Dorian crawled into bed beside her and blew out the bedside candle before snuggling in close beside her. “Alright, two weeks it is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A fun little side note: "My finely-feathered friends" is a reference to Dorian and Saeda. Pavus means "peacock" and Saeda's last name (Corvus) means "raven"


End file.
